John Laporte Email and Phone Number

Experienced researcher with a demonstrated history of working in research settings and excellent publication records in discovering neuroimaging biomarkers/novel risk factors for various neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Dementias.Currently a Research Fellow at the Magnetic Resonance Physics of Aging and Dementia (MRPAD) unit at the National Institute on Aging. My research focuses on identifying novel and potentially modifiable risk factors for cognitive impairment, brain pathology, and Alzheimer’s disease, along with related dementias. I am passionate about translating these findings into practical solutions to improve the diagnosis, management, and treatment of various human diseases.Summary of Accomplishments: • Led large-scale MRI data processing for internal and external public databases, including the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA), Genetic and Epigenetic Signatures of Translational Aging Laboratory Testing (GESTALT), and the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) • Managed multiple processing pipelines to handle a variety of MRI modalities, including Diffusion Tensor imaging, Multicomponent driven equilibrium steady-state observation of T1 and T2 (mcDESPOT), Neurite orientation and dispersion density imaging (NODDI) and Anomalous-diffusion imaging • Published two first author and numerous co-author papers focusing on innovative biomarkers, including Myelin Water Fraction (MWF) and Neurite Density Index (NDI), exploring their associations with established risk factors such as hypertension, gait speed, and arterial stiffnessCore skills: • Medical imaging: Myelin water imaging, Diffusion tensor imaging, Image Segmentation and Registration, Quantitative image analysis, Model development • Computation skills: Pipeline design and automation, Numerical simulation and optimization, Cloud computing, Data visualization, Statistical modeling Programming languages: MATLAB, R, Python, FSL, Bash